Alleged Half-Life 2: Episode 4 screenshots surface years later

The Internet loves a good Half-Life rumor, and this next one seems about as good as any. New images from the ill-fated Half-Life 2: Episode 4, otherwise known as Return to Ravenholm, have surfaced today, years and years after the game was canned. The title was in development at Arkane Studios, but in 2007, the project was left in the dust, so we’re seeing these new images almost six years after the fact.

That is, of course, assuming that these are actual images from the game. They come ValveTime, which doesn’t cite any sources but claims that the shots have been verified to be real. Whether or not that’s actually the case is anyone’s guess, so while you’re checking these screens out, be sure to keep in mind that they may not be the real deal.

In any case, the images don’t show off much, just what kind of textures and environments Arkane was working with before the project went belly-up. They don’t look particularly great by 2013’s standards, but back in 2007, this game wouldn’t have looked half-bad. Savor them, because if these are the real thing, they’re all we’re likely to see from Episode 4 for quite some time, if we ever see anything else at all.

Meanwhile, the Internet is still going nuts trying figuring out when Valve is going to launch the next Half-Life game. We’ve heard rumor after rumor, but so far, Valve has remained tight-lipped and nothing has been officially revealed. With the company staying silent for so long, you’d hope that an announcement would be coming up shortly, but since this is Valve we’re talking about, anything is possible. Check out our story timeline below for the more recent Half-Life rumors.